The Great Seal of Iowa

One of the initial acts of the first General Assembly in
1847
was to create the Great Seal of Iowa.

The two-inch diameter seal pictures a citizen soldier
standing
in a wheat field, surrounded by farming and industrial tools, with the
Mississippi River in the background. An eagle is overhead holding in its beak a
scroll bearing the state motto: "Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will
maintain." The motto was the work of a three-member Senate committee and was
incorporated into the design of the seal at their suggestion.

The Great Seal cannot be used without the permission of the
governor. The state seal is retained in the custody of and under the control of
the governor, who uses the seal for official documents and functions.

Graphics of the state symbols were provided by the Dept. of
Economic Development, Division of Tourism.